The Need to Protect
by BethBobby
Summary: Gendry often forgets that Arya is just a nine year old who has seen too much of the cruelty of the world. Sometimes he forgets that she can't always look after herself. But he will never forget just how much she needed him.


**The Need to Protect**

**BethBobby**

AN: Just a one-shot. Set when Arya and Gendry are held captive in the village of Ser Gregor Clegane. I have tried to keep the characters as close to canon as possible, but under the circumstances of the fic, I have taken liberties. Please don't review going 'eww, they're so OOC' as I just warned you they may be a tad OOC at times. I am also using her age at the beginning of Game of Thrones, which is nine years old.  
*Quick warning: There are mentions of rape in this fic (neither Gendry or Arya are being raped) so I just thought I'd add the warning to be safe*

….

Gendry had learnt to dread the night time, when they were left alone with their captors.

One of the men shouted and Gendry felt his stomach clench. He could see that the men holding them captive were watching the woman. They looked once or twice at Arya, despite the fact that they believed she was a boy. Gendry knew they thought she was a pretty boy. All he could think was '_please don't look too closely_.' He knew he couldn't bear to watch that happen to her. Hell, he'd rather die than watch them do that to her. Sure she was tough, but she was still a nine year old girl, she shouldn't have to go through that. No woman should.

His desire to protect her shocked even himself, how had he allowed himself to become so attached to her?

'Arry.' Gendry called, watching as she turned around.

'Come over here,' his voice was low and she came without question, sliding her tiny body over to sit beside him.

'Don't move away from me and Hot Pie, you hear?'

She nodded, seeing the seriousness in his face.

One of the guards grabbed a young girl by her hair and dragged her towards himself, laughing as she screamed in fear and pain.

Without thinking Gendry grasped Arya's waist, placing one arm around her stomach, the other over her mouth as she squealed in shock.

'It's just me, be quiet.' He hissed, lifting her easily over himself, putting his body between her and the guards.

She frowned at him, but her eyes flew to the guards as the girl screamed again.

Gendry followed her gaze, seeing the guards jeering and roaring with laughter as the girl struggled against the man's advances.

He saw Arya pale as the man forced the girl's legs apart, unbuckling his belt and reaching into his pants.

'Arya, look at me, don't look at them.' Gendry span around, taking in her ghostly white face and shaking form.

He remembered when she had told him that she wasn't scared of the rapists being transported in the cages, he had thought her foolish, but now all he saw was a frightened little girl.

His body spared her the view of what was happening behind them as he moved closer to her, taking her into his arms.

'Hot Pie, move over here. Now.' Gendry ordered, feeling Arya collapse against him.

He pulled her into him so that in the dark, she was no longer visible to the guards. Hot Pie sat beside him, closest to the guards, his large body shielding her small one as well as most of Gendry's.

'Are they going to do that to me?' Gendry heard her whisper, only aware that she had spoken through the vibrations of her throat against his chest as she hid her face.

Hot Pie frowned beside him, not used to seeing Arya show weakness. It was the first time Gendry himself had seen her like this. Scared wasn't a word that sprang to mind when thinking about Arya Stark.

'Not if I have anything to do with it.' He murmured, feeling her jump as the girl behind them cried out, followed by grunts of pleasure from the guard as he thrust into her.

Gendry could hear more screams and he turned his head briefly to see more women being dragged towards the guards, the man around them unable to help them.

'Please, no.' he heard Arya whimper and his arms tightened around her, clutching her to him as though he could take her away from the sights and sounds of the atrocities being committed around them.

'You're a boy remember. As long as they think that, you're safe,' Gendry lied, knowing that the men were cruel and sick enough to rape a boy as well as a woman, especially a boy with a face like hers.

He felt her sniff into his chest, her breathing quick and shallow.

'C'mon, calm down. I won't let them do anything to you.' He muttered, trying to sound calm and convincing.

She flinched violently as a cry of pain erupted through the air.

'No, no, make it stop, please make it stop.' She whispered and he pressed one side of her head more firmly against his chest, covering the other ear with his hand.

'It'll be okay.' Gendry told her, silently praying that it would be over soon and he could keep his promise that she would be safe from them.

He could see that her eyes were tightly squeezed together as she fought against her fear, trying to regain control and failing as a solitary tear ran down her face. She quickly released her hold on his shirt to wipe it away, smearing dirt from her hand across her face. Under any normal circumstances Gendry would have laughed and mocked her, but the fear in her eyes made him want to bundle her up, away from the entirety of what was happening and make her forget everything.

….

Eventually the cries subsided into small sobs as the men finished with the girls.

Gendry lay down, still holding Arya's small, cold and shaking frame tightly against his chest, worried that if he let her go, she might break.

He felt her body relax ever so slightly, as she too realised that the worst was over. They hadn't come for her, just as Gendry had promised and for that she would be forever grateful.

'You need to sleep,' he whispered, 'tomorrow's going to be another long day.'

'Don't let go, in case they come back. Please?' she mumbled.

'I won't, now sleep,' he said, 'we all need to be alert in the morning.'

He felt her nod into his chest and he sighed, the tension of the night easing a touch.

….

Finally he felt her relax into sleep and he rested his chin on the top of her head. Gently he shifted her, releasing his arm from underneath her and laying her flat on the floor before doing a final check on where the guards were.

She looked so small and vulnerable when she slept. It killed him to think of the men hurting her, humiliating her like that. Gendry often forgot that Arya was just a nine year old who has seen too much of the cruelty of the world. He forgets that she can't always look after herself. But he will never forget just how much she needs him at that moment in time, because, like it or not, he knew that he had to protect her. He couldn't stand to see her hurt more.

He closed his eyes, willing sleep to come and relieve him of the memories. For once, Gendry welcomed the darkness.

…..

AN: Wow, that went in a completely different direction to how I'd originally planned for it to.

Let me know what you thought?

**Comments will make my night, I'm bogged down with uni essays.**

**Review?**


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